The Shadows of Citizen Journalism

 

     Here is a banana from our dinner tonight- taken on my phone, with a filter! Am I Ansel Adams yet? Why do people love filters? When they snap a picture then use a filter does it increase their sense of ownership? Do filters manipulate the emotions of willing viewers who embrace it as already a memory- like instant nostalgia? It’s in human beings to be creators and to desire power over their surroundings and photography is frequently an outlet for such. And with the direct advertising of ease from camera manufacturers and the availability of phones and apps, yes the floor may get more and more crowded with citizen want-to-be-think-I-already-ams but when a specific need arises a professional is still very likely to be recognized. Professionals will have the continual struggle to ‘up their game’ and offer a skill and a product the average other.
            As for hipstamtic and other wide used filters, you have to determine the purpose of the photographer. If it is to tell a story vs. report an incident then maybe filters are appropriate in the way that writers use similes and metaphors to get a message across. One problem if citizen photography if it is to report an incident it likely contains a bias or agenda behind it. This would be most critical in heated or emotional moments in history like riots, shootings, refugees, etc. The way an image is shared and portrayed definitely effects how the event is interpreted for those who view it.